Paper Pots 2

Hi All,

Illoquin's thread on making paper pots had me fiddling with newspaper for quite a while. I tried making the square origami boxes from the geocities site-- the one with the flaps on two sides. I found these flaps just got in the way, so I adapted another version of an origami box to make a neat and sturdy version. This version used ~9" squares of newsprint (or craft paper) and will snugly fill a standard greenhouse tray. I went a little nuts making the instructions and photos, but here you go:

www.mygreengarden.ca/seedstartingboxes.html

that's gorgeous, bev! too pretty for seed pots, don't you think?

Bev, I sure hope I am wrong here, but ....how deep are your purty paper pots? They look really shallow, and the WSing crowd pounded the 4" rule into my head. Are your pots that deep and I'm just having depth perception problems? LOL. If not, check with one of our resident experts and make sure your babies are going to have enough room to stretch their leggy roots!

You far, far out paper me in that skill department :)

~Sunny

Definitely great looking paper pots, but Sunny is correct! Unless your soil depth is at least 4" deep, you soil will dry out and your seeds won't make it. Take it from one who learned the 'hard way'! Can you make your paper pots deeper? You are definitely very skilled at making all of them look so great and uniform!

I tried a few, they're definitely easier to do than the ones with the flaps...also tried to figure out how to make a taller version, no luck yet. I haven't winter sown yet either, so I'm taking folks' word on the soil depth, but these would surely have place starting later in the season, or indoors. They would be easy to move, say to set in taller pots as they grow, or even a bed that's protected somehow.

bev w, I love your site, I really wish there were a place around here that has half the stuff you do. Thanks for posting this!

Yeah, the pots are a little small, but I'll be doing my WS in an unheated lean-to on the porch (my giant coldframe!-- photo below) so I can water the pots more easily than if they were truly outdoors.

To make 4" pots you could just double the size of the square to 18" or so.

Thanks for the kind comments Claypa. Unfortunatly most of my stuff is too heavy to send by mail-- although I'm doing a compost tea mix this year made with pelletized OMRI-certified turkey compost, worm castings, carbonatite, seaweed meal, and alfalfa fines. It will be easy to ship.

Bev,

Your site and your garden are wonderful! I'm sorry to hear most things can't be shipped here, but I'm going to try looking for some of the things you mentioned locally. Your beautiful garden is a testament to the truthfulness about caring for our soil takes care of our plants!

Thank you for sharing.

~Sunny

Finally~ I have a new digital camera!!! WOOOHOOO! The pumpkins wanted to help with wintersowing, so here's their take on the paper pots for the poppies and zinnias. Sorry Bev...the pumpkins took liberty with your instructions as you can see! LOL! However, I will use their pots as the pumpkins will also be the helpers with the transplanting department! Thanks for the great ideas to avoid transplanting demise of my future flowers!

Okay, I made some paper pots, What I would like to know now is, how do I cover these? or do I need to? I am going to be sowing Poppies in them...
They aren't small pots, I used the plastic top off my 100 blank cd container to make these. they are about 8 inches high and about 6/7 inches round... and will be placed in an old long window frame my dad gave me.

Thanks Connie

I don't know, peps, but I'm covering the paper pots. Mine are smaller, though. I put 'em in a roasting tray inside a plastic bag with sticks to prop up the plastic. There's pictures at (you'll never guess...) winter sown. org of 'tents' or whatever someone made to cover trays of paper pots.

Yes, the paper pots definitely need to be covered.

Karen

Well hmmmm, I looked that blasted site over and didn't see them rofl and I am not going to go buy anymore bifocals rofl... the ones I have are new ;o) oh well lol

I talked to notmartha (Dori) and she said she just throws her poppy seeds on top of the snow... So I am not going to worry about covering the poppies, but I do have a few other seeds I am going to try in the paper pots, will have tp go back and look again at that site and see if I can find it... Thanks so much claypa :o)

Have a great night,

Connie